


Sanctuary

by strikerkudo



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: AU where Andrew pretends to be Aaron at work, F/M, Gen, M/M, andrew and neil are soft, business as usual, but how much is up to the reader tbh, coffee shop AU, for the fall aftg exchange c:, kaaron is here but its mentioned at best, neil is a menace, please dont ask for plot details, uhh some canon stuff does happen here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:35:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26494231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strikerkudo/pseuds/strikerkudo
Summary: Aaron and Andrew work at the Foxhole Court coffee shop, except they're both Aaron at work and Andrew's boyfriend has made it his goal to completely drive Aaron up the wall.In which Aaron has short temper, Andrew couldn't care more, Neil is just happy to be here and Kevin refuses to get involved.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 4
Kudos: 175





	Sanctuary

“Andrew, I swear to fuck, if you don’t want me to poison your boyfriend’s coffee, you better go and tell him to fucking shut up.”

Andrew lowered his book and leaned his head against the headrest of the sofa.

Aaron gripped the door frame. He hadn’t knocked. That wouldn’t have been unusual a year earlier, but ever since the twins were coerced into attending weekly therapy sessions together, their understanding of one another increased. Nowadays Aaron would work at upholding Andrew’s boundaries. There were times Aaron would fall back on his bad habits, however. When he was angry for example.

Kevin, sitting on a counter chair nearby, turned his back to Aaron. The universal sign of ‘I’m not getting involved in this.’ Their roommate usually stuck to his own business, but Andrew had never been one to voice uncertainties. So, instead of addressing the broken protocol, Andrew simply closed his book shut.

“What?” 

His brother stomped into the room and in front of Andrew. With Andrew on the sofa, Aaron took leverage of the height difference to lean down. Trying to appear authoritative and forcing people to listen to him must be a side effect of being a med student.

“The whole Twin-Shift-Switch was your idea! And maybe you don’t care if it gets found out we’re essentially committing identity fraud, but I do!”

Andrew didn’t move a muscle. “And your hissy fit has to do with Neil, how?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He gesticulated wildly. “Maybe it’s the fact that he keeps calling me out! Everytime he gets up to the counter, even though─and I cannot stress this enough─he knows about our deal, he goes ‘Oh, you’re not Andrew’ and grins with his stupid face.”

“Has anyone asked about you?”

“They keep staring at me weirdly, so no, they haven’t asked, but they’re a hundred percent suspicious.”

“So, they haven’t said anything?”

Aaron’s left eye twitched.

“That’s not the point─”

“If they haven’t said anything then there’s no need for you to get riled up.” Andrew accented his lack of concern by picking up his book and going back to ignoring his brother.

Aaron narrowed his eyes. He growled and stormed out of the room.

“Oh, how fun it is to have a brother.” Kevin continued to stare at the game.

***

The next day Aaron went on with his midday shift as he usually did with a more pronounced scowl than usual on his face. He knows how to deal with customers, knows how to deal with assholes too, considering he’s surrounded by ones at all times. Except Katelyn. Katelyn’s an angel. The scowl softened. 

But yes, despite popular belief, Aaron could actually be nice to strangers. Working at the Foxhole Court hadn’t exactly been his first choice, but with a criminal record and still being in the middle of his studies, finding anything else would’ve taken ages. It helped that Nicky knew people there. In the end it was the easiest solution.

The close proximity from the shop to the University and shopping mile guaranteed a steady flow of customers and a tight schedule for the employees. The Foxhole Court almost exclusively hired kids with tragic backstories courtesy of one David Wymack─endless do-gooder, inventor of multiple widely used insults and firm believer of ‘I’m not being paid enough for this.’ While noble and a decent idea on the surface, Aaron supposed, the reality was a little less glamorous. With half of the staff having weekly therapy sessions─himself included─the shift plan was a mess.

It didn’t help that some people, Allison for example, quickly realized that they could stave off their morning shifts to Aaron with the only consequence being some insults thrown at them. So whenever Allison ‘caught’ a hangover she would act miserable and text Aaron to cover her.

Overall his first two months of working at the Foxhole Court were pure hell when in combination with classes, studying and trying to find time for Kateyln.

Which is why it was so surprising to Aaron when Andrew offered a deal that barely benefitted himself. Aaron had no idea why Andrew would go so far for an employee discount, but any other explanation would involve Andrew doing it for _Aaron_. And he doesn’t think he’s ready to fully believe that explanation yet.

Another reason for it could’ve been… Aaron’s thought trailed off as Neil walked up to the counter. Aaron’s scowl returned.

“What do you want?” He didn’t bother with pleasantries. Neil knew what he thought of him, just like Aaron knows how Neil feels about him. It was a weird understanding between them that Aaron was bitter to realize they had.

“Oh, a black coffee.” Aaron turned around to work the machines before the mop of auburn hair had even spoken. How unoriginal.

He slid the cup across the counter. “That’s two─”

“And a chocolate muffin.” For Andrew. Aaron rolled his eyes.

“Anything else?” He put down the bag.

“No, that’s it. Here you go, no need to check. Thank you, Not-Andrew.”

Neil made his way to the furthest corner within the shop, the sound of fists hitting the counter and the yell of ‘Fuck you, Josten!’ following him out.

***

“Okay, listen here, you little shits.” Wymack crossed his arms. The glare on his face would intimidate anyone else. Unfortunately, the twins were foxes, as much as they hate to be lumped in with the group. And foxes weren’t easily scared by anyone.

He let out a sigh and pinched his nose. “I don’t give a shit that there’s two of you, but you should’ve told me! No wonder you scared away the customers only _half_ the time.”

Aaron clicked his tongue.

“I’ll employ both of you─you’re both messed up after all─just tell me which one of you is the one I can put behind the counter and which one to keep in the back at all times.”

“That’s Aaron. He loves customer service.” Andrew said. Aaron’s eyes widened. He startled at the implication of his brother wanting to work at all, when the actual meaning of the sentence hit him.

“Minyard─”

“Are you serious, Andrew─” Aaron ran a hand through his hair. “You didn’t say anything! Just what─ Andrew!”

He didn’t give them another glance. Instead he walked across the shop to a booth in the back. His brother’s angry, confused yells and Wymack’s seething frustration behind him. 

Andrew almost wanted to smile.

“Hey, ‘Drew.” Neil’s lips quirked upwards.

Andrew plopped down next to Neil. Their eyes met and Neil’s mouth turned up into a smile. He found what he was looking for in Andrew’s blank stare and made himself comfortable, leaning against his boyfriend’s shoulder.

“That was entertaining.”

Andrew hummed. He buried his hand in auburn locks. Neil slid the novel he kept for his boyfriend across the table. There was no auditory acknowledgement but he took the book with his free hand, shaking open the bookmarked page.

“It worked out, then?“ Neil stared down at his phone. Dan and Matt were still freaking out about the revelation that there's two Minyards. 

“Aaron's pissed I don't tell him everything, even after all of our wonderful therapy sessions.“

A snort left Neil. Andrew wasn't wired to lay out his thought process. There's clues in everything he does and it then comes down to the other person to put it all together. It's all too easy for Neil who _understands_ , and all the harder for Aaron who spent a third of his life not knowing and another third not _trusting_ his brother.

However, Neil thought, it shouldn't be that difficult to figure out that Andrew proposed the whole deal for Aaron's sake in the first place. Aaron was the endlessly studying med student with a part-time job he refused to drop even when he had anxiety attacks in the staff room. 

If it was a year ago, Andrew would've forced Aaron to quit--or better yet, gotten him fired. But Aaron was trying, so Andrew did the same. He proposed a solution that allowed Aaron to shave off the most ill-timed of shifts and offered him the chance to deny his offer. In the end he said 'yes' and Andrew was finally able to set foot into the Foxhole Court Café and make use of Aaron's employee discount. 

Quietly, Neil sipped from his own discounted black coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> it takes like two weeks but aaron comes to terms with the fact that andrew did this for him and he just bursts into the living, points at andrew, who raises an eyebrow, and then leaves again
> 
> andrew gets it but kevin is just happy hes an only child again


End file.
